Some tax relief is headed to commuters working in Allentown with the passage of the city's 2015 budget Wednesday.

Members of Allentown City Council voted unanimously to pass a nearly $97 million spending plan that holds the line on property taxes for the 10th year in a row and decreases the earned income tax on non-residents by 0.05 of a percentage point.

In 2014, Allentown began stepping down the tax after finalizing a $211 million deal to lease the city's water and sewer systems for 50 years. The upfront payment on the lease was used to pay down much of the city's pension expenses, lowering the city's annual payment.

Commuters working in Allentown had been paying an increased earned income tax that went toward pensions, permitted under state law when a city's pension plans are considered distressed. In 2014, the tax was lowered for residents and non-residents alike to 1.33 percent. In 2015, the tax will be reduced to 1.28 percent for non-residents, while residents will continue to pay 1.33 percent.

Mayor Ed Pawlowski said during the budget approval process that the city won't have the financial capacity in 2015 to lower the tax for both groups.

During the budget vote Wednesday, Councilwoman Jeanette Eichenwald moved to suspend council rules to introduce an amendment that would have reduced the tax on residents in addition to non-residents. It's unfair to reduce the tax for one group and not the other, she said.

Pawlowski fired back, stating the reduction would create an $850,000 gap in the budget that would have to be filled.

"As long as you're doing that, do you want to introduce an amendment to raise property taxes to fill that gap?" he asked.

The pair sparred for several minutes over grant funding for police after Pawlowski suggested that a reduction in the number of officers would also cover the gap. As council President Julio Guridy pleaded for civility, Pawlowski criticized Eichenwald for not discussing her proposal with city staff before the vote.

"I came here with the best of intentions," Eichenwald said. "It had been my hope that we could have had this discussion."

Ultimately, Eichenwald's motion to suspend the rules failed to get a second and was withdrawn.

The 2015 budget calls for the city to take on new short-term and long-term debt. The $15 million long-term borrowing would pay for infrastructure improvements, including the upgrade of streetlights citywide, street repairs and a $3 million investment in the city's aging pools.

The $6 million short-term debt would cover a number of purchases, including cameras for all city police patrol cars and body cameras for officers. A lengthy list of equipment will also be purchased with the money, including two new firetrucks, a snowblower and more than a dozen pieces for the city's stormwater department.

The 2015 spending plan includes lofty goals for the city's Department of Parks and Recreation, which underwent a leadership change shortly before the budget was presented to council. Allentown has grant funding, which has been extended several times, to build several playgrounds at Jackson and Jordan parks. A firm deadline has been set to build those playgrounds by June 30.

Meeting the deadline will be critical to re-establishing Allentown's credibility with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which provided some of the funding, city officials said during budget hearings.

Directors across the city will receive at least 3 percent salary increases under the 2015 budget. Allentown Managing Director Francis Dougherty will receive a 19 percent salary increase, bringing his total pay to $118,456. Community Development Director Sara Hailstone will receive a nearly 12 percent increase, bringing her annual pay to $105,512.

Pawlowski said previously that both directors are grossly underpaid, and the raises are part of a plan to increase wages citywide to make hiring more competitive, he said. Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald, who was hired in November 2013, will still make the most of all city directors at $139,048. Pawlowski is paid $95,000 annually.